Ink rollers



y 1959 l. GOTTSC-HO ETAL 2,887,952

IVNK ROLLERS Filed. June 6, 1957 IN V EN TORI BY W KTTOK/IEY United States Patent INK ROLLERS Ira S. Gottscho, Milburn, and Malcolm Hirschey, Woodbridge, N.J., assignors to Adolph Gottscho, Inc., Hillside, N.J., a corporation of New York Application June 6, 1957, Serial No. 664,080

12 Claims. (Cl. 101-367) This invention relatesto ink rollers for applying ink, either directly or by way of a transfer or metering roller, to the marking die or type in various forms of marking devices and, more particularly, is directed to improvements in fountain ink rollers, that is, rollers of the kind having a supply of ink contained therein.

Existing fountain ink rollers generally include a hollow cylindrical body defining a reservoir for the supply of ink, and a sleeve or annular pad of felt or other absorbent material extending around the outer cylindrical surface of the body to receive ink from the reservoir through openings in the cylindrical wall of the body. The capillary action within the felt sleeve achieves a limited degree of distribution of the ink away from the openings in the side wall through which the ink is supplied to the sleeve. However, when the ink roller is disposed for rotation about a vertical axis, such capillary action can only distribute the supplied ink a relatively short distance above the supply openings, as the upward distribution is resisted by gravity, and it is therefore necessary to provide the supply openings at elevated locations in the side wall of the body. Although centrifugal force tends to drive the ink within the reservoir upwardly on the side wall, it is nevertheless apparent that the feeding of ink to the sleeve or pad will cease when the ink can no longer reach the supply openings, at which time a substantial quantity of ink will remain within the-reservoir. Thus, the vertical locations of the supply openings in the side wall of a fountain ink roller rotating about a vertical axis are determined 'as a compromise between the desire to permit substantially full utilization of the ink in the reservoir and the desire to obtain uniform distribution of the ink within the felt sleeve or pad, particularly above the locations of the supply openings. It has been proposed to avoid the necessity for the above compromise, which satisfies neither of the desired conditions, by pro viding wicks which extend from within the reservoir into contact with the outer felt pad so that ink may be supplied to the upper portion of the pad and, at the same time, substantially all of the ink in the reservoir may be utilized. However, in all of these existing fountain ink rollers, there is ,no possibility of adjnstably controlling the rate at which ink is supplied from within the reservoir to the outer feltpad. Sincethe rate at which the marking device, including the fountain ink roller, applies markings to articles or the like may be variable within a wide range, it is apparent that a fountain ink roller having a fixed rate of ink feed to its outer pad which is sufficient for the higher marking rates would provide an excess of ink at the surface of the outer pad for the lower marking rates. Thus, it is desirable that the rate at which ink is fed from the reservoir of the fountain ink roller to the outer pad of the latter be adjustably controlled, as operating conditions -require.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fountain ink roller having an internal reservoir for the ink and an outer felt pad or sleeve, and wherein ink is supplied from the reservoir to the pad at an adice justably controlled rate and in a manner to ensure substantially uniform distribution of ink throughout the pad and complete utilization of the ink within the reservoir, even when the ink roller is operated with its axis extending vertically.

Another object is to provide a fountain ink roller of the described character, wherein ink is fed from the reservoir to the outer pad by way of a wick arrangement and means are provided for variably constricting the latter, thereby to adjustably control the rate of ink feed to the pad.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the above objects are achieved by providing a fountain ink roller that includes a hollow cylindrical body defining a reservoir for the ink and opening axially at one end, an annular felt pad or sleeve encircling the cylindrical body, an ink conveying or wick member of felt or other absorbent material providing a capillary action which extends axially into the reservoir through the open end of the hollow body and which has an annular flange extending radially outward past the open end edge of the body into contact with the outer pad, a cap for closing the open end of the body with the flange of the ink conveying member being axially interposed between the cap and the adjacent end edge of the body, and means for adjusting the axial position of the cap relative to the body, thereby to vary the construction of the flange of the ink conveying member between the cap and end edge of the body and to correspondingly vary the rate at which the ink conveying member transmits ink from the reservoir to the outer pad.

The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and wherein;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a fountain ink roller embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of the fountain ink roller of Fig. 1;

Fig, 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-45 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fiat blank from which a wick member included in the fountain ink roller of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be conveniently formed.

Referring to the drawing in detail, and initially to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 thereof, it will be seen that a fountain ink roller embodying the present invention, and there generally identified by the reference numeral 10 includes a body 12 of metal or any other suitably rigid, impermeable material having a cylindrical side wall 14.

The body 12 is open at least at one end, for example, at the upper end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 2, and, in the case where only one end of the body is open, as in the illustrated embodiment, the opposite or lower end of the body has an end wall 16 provided with a central, apertured boss 18 through which an axle 26} extends. The hollow interior of the body 12 defines a reservoir for the ink which is to be supplied to the usual annular pad or sleeve 22 of felt or other absorbent, resilient material encircling and lying against the outer surface of the cylindrical side Wall 14.

In order to axial position the pad 22 with respect to the body 12, atleast in one direction, the body 12 has an annular rim 24 projecting radially therefrom at the end of the body having the end wall 16 and defining a radial shoulder 26 against which the pad can axially seat.

As seen in Fig. 2, the pad 22 preferably has an axial length which is at least equal to the axial distance along the side wall 14 from the shoulder 26 to the open end edge 28 of the'body 12.

In accordance with the present invention, ink is supplied from the reservoir within body 12 to the felt pad 22 encircling the latter by means of a wick or ink conveying member 30 which is formed of felt or any other suitably absorbent fibrous material exerting a capillary action for inducting a flow of liquid therethrough, and which includes an annular, radially directed flange portion 32 adapted to rest against the edge 28 at the open end of the body and to extend radially beyond the latter into contact with the upper edge of pad 22. The wick member 30 further includes a portion 34 extending generally axially from the inner margin of the flange portion 32 through the open end of the body 12 for immersion in the supply of ink contained in the latter.

Although the generally axially extending portion 34 of Wick member 38 may have an approximately cylindrical shape, the portion 34 is preferably of saw-tooth configuration, as shown, for ease in producing the wick member 30 from flat felt stock. More particularly, as shown in Fig. 4, a flat disc 30a may be cut from the felt stock and, simultaneously, radial slits 36 may be cut in the disc extending from the center of the latter and terminating radially inward from the circular edge of the disc so that the annular portion 32a between the outer ends of the slits 36 and the edge of the disc can define the flange portion 32 of wick member 30, while the sector shaped portions 3401 between the slits 36 can be bent out of the plane of the disc to extend substantially at right angles to the portion 32a and thereby to form the saw-tooth shaped portion 34 of the wick member. Thus, the wick member 38 can be produced by simple die cutting and bending or shaping operations.

The fountain ink roller further includes a cap 38 for closing the open end of body 12 and adapted to have its peripheral portion seat against the flange portion 32 of the wick member.

In accordance with the present invention, the rate at which the wick member 30 feeds ink from the supply within the body 12 to the pad 22 encircling the latter is controlled by variably constricting the flange portion 32 of the wick member between the cap 38 and the edge 28 of the body. For this purpose, the cap 38 has a central aperture 40 through which a threaded end portion 42 of axle 28 extends, and a nut 44 is screwed on the threaded portion 42 above, or at the outer side of, the cap 38. Further, the opposite or lower end portion of axle 20 has a stop thereon, for example, in the form of a nut 46 screwed thereon and held against removal by a pin 48, so that the several parts of the roller are held together in assembled relation on the axle 20 between the nuts 44 and 46.

When the nut 44 is tightened on the axle, that is, moved axially toward the nut 46, the flange portion 32 of the wick member is increasingly constricted between the cap 38 and the edge 28, thereby to reduce the rate of ink feed to the pad 22, and, conversely, when the nut 44 is loosened, the constriction of flange portion 32 is reduced to permit the feeding of ink at an increased rate to the pad 22.

The cap 38 preferably has a frusto-conical seat 58 (Fig. 2) around the aperture 48 at the upper or outer surface of the cap, and the underside of the nut 44 has a corresponding frusto-conical configuration for engaging the seat 50, thereby to stabilize the cap 38 and to cause the latter to apply a substantially uniform pressure for constricting the flange portion 32 at any adjustment of the nut 44-.

Further, the cap 38 may have an opening therein which is normally closed by a plug 52, so that, upon removal of the plug 52, the supply of ink within the body 12 can be replenished without disturbing the adjustment of the cap 38 and, hence, of the controlled rate of feed by the wick member 38.

The axle 20 may have reduced diameter extensions 54 and 56 at its opposite ends receivable in suitably Q mounted bearings (not shown) for rotatably supporting the fountain ink roller 10.

It is apparent that, when the described fountain ink roller is rotatably mounted with its axis extending vertically, as in Figs. 1 and 2, ink within the body 12 is drawn upwardly, by capillary action, through the sawtooth sections of the portion 34 of wick member 30 and then passes radially outward through the flange portion 32, at a rate determined by the constriction thereof, as previously described, into the upper edge portion of the annular outer pad 22. The capillary action within pad 22, assisted by gravity, causes the ink supplied to the upper edge of the pad to flow downwardly through the latter for uniform distribution throughout the pad. Thus, ink is supplied to the pad 22 under conditions which are most favorable for uniform distribution throughout the pad, While the extension of the portion 34 of wick member 30 downwardly into the reservoir of ink within body 12 makes it possible to fully utilize the supply of ink. Further, the above desirable conditions in the fountain ink roller are achieved with an arrangement adjustment of the rate of flow of ink through the wick member 30 to the outer pad 22 so that the ink available in the latter for transfer to a marking die or type of a marking device can be accommodated to varying operating conditions of such device.

Although the illustrated fountain ink roller is intended for rotation about a vertical axis and, therefore, can employ a single wick member 30 feeding ink only to the upper edge of the pad 22, as gravity assists in efiecting the uniform distribution of ink through the pad from its upper edge, the present invention can also be embodied in a fountain ink roller adapted for rotation about a horizontal axis. In the latter case, the body of the roller defining the reservoir for the supply of ink will be open at its opposite ends, and wick members similar to the described Wick member 30 will extend into the reservoir through the opposite open ends of the body, with caps similar to the described cap 38 being provided for both open ends of the body to close the reservoir and to provide for the adjustable constriction of the flange portions of the related wick members. Thus, in a foun tain ink roller intended for rotation about a horizontal axis and having wick members and caps at the opposite ends of the body, the wick members will supply ink, at an adjustably controlled rate, to the opposite edges of the felt pad encircling the body and the uniform distribution of ink through the pad from its opposite edges will be effected by capillary action.

Although the illustrated embodiment of the invention and a modification thereof have been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that particular embodiment or the described modification thereof, and that various changes and further modifications may be effected therein by a skilled worker in this art without departing from the scope or spirit of this invention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at least at one end, a pad of absorbent material encircling said body, a wick member for each open end of said body having a portion extending into said body through the related open end of the latter to receive ink from said reservoir and a portion extending across the related open end edge of the body into contact with said pad for feeding ink to the latter, a cap closing each open end of said body with said portion of the wick member extending across the related. open end edge being disposed between the latter and said cap, and means adjustably positioning said cap relative to said related open end edge of the body so that said portion of the wick member disposed therebetween is adjustably constrictedfor variably controlling therate of feedin of inkvby said'wick member to said pad.

2. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body defining a reservoir for a supply ofv ink in its interior and being open at least at one end, a pad of absorbent material encircling said body, a wick mem ber for each open end of said body having a generally axially directed portion extending into the related open end of the body to receive ink from the supply insaid reservoir and a radially directed portion extending across the edge ofsaid body at saidrelated open end into contact with said pad for feeding ink to the latter, a cap for closing each open end of the body seating against said radially directed portion of the related wick member so that said radially directed portion is constricted between said edge of the body and said cap, and means adjusting the axial position of said cap relative to said edge of the body at the related open end of the latter, thereby to vary the constriction of said radially directed portion of the wick member for adjustably controlling the rate of feeding of ink to said pad by said wick members.

3. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at one end, a pad of absorbent material encircling said body, a wick member having a generally axially directed portion extending into the open end of the body to receive ink from the supply in said reservoir and a radially directed portion extending across the edge of said body at said open end into contact with said pad for feeding ink to the latter, a cap for closing the open end of the body seating against said radially directed portion of the related wick member so that said radially directed portion is constricted between said edge of the body and said cap, said cap having a central aperture, an axle extending co-axially through said body and having a threaded portion passing through said aperture of the cap, and a nut screwed on said threaded portion of the axle to bear against said cap and adjustably determine the axial position of the latter relative to said edge of the body so that the constriction of said radially directed portion of the wick member may be varied to adjustably control the rate of feeding of ink to said pad by rotating said nut relative to said axle.

4. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at one end, an annular pad of absorbent material encircling said body, a wick member for the open end of the body including an annular, radially directed portion extending across the open end edge of the body into contact with said pad and sector-shaped portions extending generally axially into said reservoir through said open end from the inner margin of said annular, radially directed portion to receive ink from said reservoir, the sum of the angles enclosed by the sides of said sector-shaped portions being equal to 360 degrees so that said annular portion and said sector-shaped portions of the wick member can be simultaneously cut from flat wick stock, a cap for closing the open end of the body and seating against said radially directed portion of the related wick member with said radially directed portion being constricted between said open end edge of the body and said cap, and means adjusting the axial position of said cap relative to said open end edge, thereby to vary the constriction of said radially directed portion of the Wick member for adjustably controlling the rate of feeding of ink through the latter to said pad.

5. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body adapted for rotatable mounting with its axis extending vertically and being open at its upper end to define a reservoir for ink in its interior, an annular absorbent pad encircling said body, a wick member including an annular, radially directed portion extending over the upper edge of said body into contact with said p d nd, a generally axially, directed portion depending fromthev inner. margin of said annular portion into said reservoir to receive ink from the latter for feeding to said pad, a cap closing the upperend of said body. and seating on said annular, radially directed portion of the wick member, and adjustable means drawing saidcap axially down towards-said upper edgeof the body so that said radially directed portion of the wick is adjustably constricted between said cap and, upper edge to adjustably control the rate of feeding of ink by said wick member to said pad.

6. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow, generally cylindrical body adapted for rotatable mounting with its axis extending vertically and being open at its upper end to define a reservoir for ink in its interior, an annular absorbent pad encirclnig said body with the upper edges of said body and pad in radial registration, a wick member including an annular, radially directed portion extending over said upper edge of the body and projecting radially beyond the latter, so that the under surface of said an nular, radially directed portion contacts the upper edge of said pad, and a generally axially directed portion depending from the'inner margin of said annular, radially directed portion into said reservoir to receive ink from the latter for feeding to said pad at the upper edge of the latter, a cap closing the upper end of said body and having its peripheral portion seating on said annular, radially directed portion of the wick member, and adjustable means drawing said cap axially down toward said upper edge of the body to adjustably constrict said radially directed portion between said capand upper edge and, thereby, to adjustably control the rate of feeding of ink by said wick member to said pad.

7. A fountain ink roller as in claim 6; wherein said adjustable means includes an axle extending co-axially through said body and having a threaded upper end portion, said cap having a central aperture receiving said upper end portion of the axle, and a nut screwed on said threaded upper end portion of the axle above said cap to bear downwardly on the latter.

8. A fountain ink roller as in claim 6; wherein said generally axially directed portion of the Wick member is of saw-tooth configuration and includes sector-shaped parts enclosing angles which, taken together, add up to 360 degrees so that said annular, radially directed portion and said sector-shaped parts can be simultaneously cut from a disc of fiat wick stock.

9. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow cylindrical body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and adapted for rotatable mounting with its axis extending vertically, an annular absorbent pad encircling said body, a wick member extending out of said reservoir into contact with the upper edge of said pad to feed ink from said reservoir to said upper edge for uniform distribution through said pad by gravity and capillary action, and means operative to adjustably constrict said wick member, thereby to adjustably control the rate of feeding of ink to said pad by said wick member.

10. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at one end, a paid of absorbent material encircling said body, a Wick member having a generally axially directed portion extending through said open end of the body to receive ink from said reservoir and a radially directed portion across the open end edge of said body into contact with said pad along the entire circumference of the pad for uniformly distributing ink to the latter, and a closure for said open end of the body.

11. A fountain ink roller comprising a hollow body having an impervious wall defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at one end, a pad of absorbent material encircling the periphery of said wall, a wick member having a radially directed portion extending across the end edge of said wall into contact with said pad along the entire circumference of the agesaena pad to receive ink from said reservoir for uniformly distributing ink to the latter, and a closure member for closing said open end and for retaining said radially directed portion on said wall.

12. A fountain ink roller comprising a cylindrical hollow body defining a reservoir for a supply of ink in its interior and being open at least at one end, a pad of ab sorbent material encircling said cylindrical body, a Wick member having a generally axially directed portion extending through said open end of the body to receive ink 10 8 from said reservoir and a radially directed portion extending across the open end edge of said body into contact with said pad for distributing ink to the latter, and a closure for said open end of the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,433,384 McLarn Dec. 30, 1947 2,562,627 McKay July 31, 1951 2,746,388 Gruver et a1. May 22, 1956 

